OldTools Archive
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265921 | RH <rhhutchins@h...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Sharpening Scissors |
With woefully inept sharpening skills, I find myself in need of sharpening an old pair that belonged to my mother. If she were still with us, she'd be 116; so these are, indeed, old ones - at least 75 years old by my own observation. Can anyone point me to a good wiki or online article that describes the appropriate process? There is a screw holding the 2 arms together. Can this be removed? Is the thread right or left handed? Thanks for any help. I want to get this pair sharp and give it to my daughter as a gift from the grandmother she never knew. Bob Hutchins Temple, TX, USA |
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265923 | John Ruth <johnrruth@h...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
Bob & Assembled Galooterati: At the risk of OLDTOOLS opprobrium, I want to mention recently encountering a Fiskars manual scissors sharpener, which the owner said she'd purchased at Wal- Mart. (There, I've gone and done it! Mentioned Fiskars and Wal-Mart in the same sentence!) While buying some heavy fabric to make a tool roll, I was astounded at how easily the lady cut my order from the bolt. I asked her who sharpened her scissors, whereupon she produced the Fiskars device from under the counter and explained that this is all she uses now. I think diamond or carbide abrasive is in the act here - you just push the blades into a slot and make snipping motions. Can't argue with the results ! John Ruth Metuchen NJ ________________________________ From: OldTools |
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265924 | Kirk Eppler <eppler.kirk@g...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
On Fri, May 25, 2018, 10:23 AM RH |
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265925 | Erik Levin | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
This has been a topic here before, and, IIRC, the reference of choice is _Scissors_Sam_Says_Be_Sharp_ . I have sharpened a lot of scissors over the years, but I am not an expert. I have never removed the screw for to do sharpening, and on many makes, removal is not intended. The screw is upset to keep it from moving or other holding means is used. I generally hold one blade in a vise (wood face, match the angle of the existing grind, and stone (conventional or diamond) the edge. Depending on intended use, I may stop at course, or go quite fine to a mirror polish. DO NOT cut sandpaper with scissors. It will ruin them. Work the edge (narrow, touches the paper or cloth being but, not the other blade), not the faces (slides in contact with the other blade) of the blades. On many older scissors, the faces are slightly hollow ground, an many better makes still have the blades slightly curved toward each other to keep a good shear contact over the entire cut. The contact point between the blades should happen on its own, not require the help of you hand to maintain it. This is different than, say, sheet metal shears, where the blades tend to be looser. The profile of the edge (curve and rake) varies beased on make and model. I have a set of Wiss editors shears with about 10 degree rake (made for trimming flimsy paper for layout... Circa 1930) and a set of Wiss sewing shears with a rake of 45 degrees.... you could use one blade as a knife. And many between these. If the business edge in nicked, it can take a lot to get it back. DO NOT succumb to temptation and work the face of the blade. You will regret it. A previous thread that was helpful to me is http://swingleydev.com/ot/g et/122289/thread/#122289">http://swingleydev.com/ot/get/122289/thread/#122289 *** This message was sent from a convenience email service, and the reply address(es) may not match the originating address |
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265926 | <gtgrouch@r...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
Polish the surfaces that slide against one another and dress the small flat surface with a fine stone. Most of my scissors have the little cutting flat surface at almost ninety degrees. A couple have them at about eighty degrees or so. I would just try to duplicate the angle they already have. I remove the screw where I can, but in some it appears to be staked in. Hope this helps. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited by law. Gary Katsanis Albion New York, USA and for all involved in celebrating, please enjoy your Memorial Day weekend! ---- RH |
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265930 | Brent A Kinsey <brentpmed@c...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
Bob, as someone mentioned, Paul Sellars has a tutorial, or, Heritage Homestead is just up the road from you in Waco and I would bet there are people there who can and would sharpen them. I use a fine triangle file to sharpen all of my old Wiss scissors, the learning curve wasn't very steep. And I am able to get a fine edge on any old inlaid steel scissor now. BUT...doing anything to the inside face of the scissor halves is fraught with peril. Trying to hone that face may do far more damage than good. The two haves are in many cases gently curved towards each other and messing up those inside faces may cause the two haves not to meet any more. I don't mess with the inside faces at alll. Brent A Kinsey |
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265931 | Thomas Conroy | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
Kirk Eppler wrote: "Tom Conroy has written up something a few times. http://www.swingleydev.com/ot/get/217759/thread/ http://swingleydev.com/ot/get/252798/thread/#252798 http://swingleydev.com/ot/get/252803/thread/#252803 He also recommends a book called Scissors Sam Says Be Sharp, which is stupid pricey online right now.... Paul Sellers has put together a YouTube thing, as someone else recommendedhere. http://swingleydev.com/ot/get/252813/thread/#252813" Thanks for posting these, Kirk, since it means I don't have to write it all over. I had forgotten my eulogy of Scissors Sam, and was pleased to find I'd done a pretty good piece of writing there. I have one point of disagreement with Paul Sellars---well, I'll put it stronger, Paul is dead wrong in one point: he flattens the inside of the scissors on a flat stone. JeffGorman, in one of the old emails, said to do this too. Maybe English shears are different, have a different blade geometry, and are actually flat on the insides. But good American shears are curved in both directions, hollow-ground across the blades and bowed along the blades. You can see the bowing by closing the blades and looking between them: the are in contact at only one point, the tip when they are closed. When fully open they are in contact only right next to the handle. As you close the scissors that single point of contact will move alongl so all the pressure of cutting is focused just where the cut is happening. If you flatten the blades out you ruin the blade geometry and the cut cannot happen properly. Maybe you can get away with lightly stoning the flats of the blades once or twice, but pretty soon you will ruin a good pair if you do this. When I have to clean heavy rust off the insides of the blades, I do it with emery cloth over a findertip to give a bilatterally convex sanding pad, and I'm careful to stay well away from the edge. Rust near the edge will come off on the paper you use for doing test cuts. Don't worry about the burr: take it off by closing the scissors on air a few times, and then cutting a few pieces of paper. Tom ConroyBerkeley |
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265932 | Claudio DeLorenzi <admin@d...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
I can only speak for big upholstery type scissors. These are fairly easy to sharpen with a regular triangular saw file, -as someone already mentioned, don't take them apart, -clamp a side in an appropriate vise, then draw file the narrow face with nice even strokes The small Burr on the wide faces comes off with first use, (as already mentioned, don't need to risk stoning it). It's really not that difficult to do. Cheers Claudio |
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265933 | Dwight Beebe <dwb1124@g...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
What does one do with loose blades? I have a pair of Wiss scissors that don’t make contact as you close them. Is there something that I can do to restore the cutting contact or is it time to move on? |
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265934 | Kirk Eppler <eppler.kirk@g...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
On Fri, May 25, 2018 at 1:15 PM, Brent A Kinsey |
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265937 | bridger@b... | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
was it this device? <https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81QhcQmXGSL._SX569_.jpg> |
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265938 | "Stager, Scott P." <StagerS@m...> | 2018‑05‑25 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
Yup, that is the scissors sharpener And if you hold it in the right hand it will sharpen a left handed scissors. A real left handed scissors, not one of those that claims to be left handed by putting a left hand handle on a set of right handed blades. Saw one of those the other day. Deplorable. —Scott On May 25, 2018, at 6:43 PM, bridger@b...<mailto:bridger@b...> wrote: was it this device? <https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81QhcQmXGSL._SX569_.jpg> --------------------------------------------------- Scott Stager Columbia MO 573-474-5955 home 573-424-4764 cell stagers@m...<mailto:stagers@m...> |
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265945 | "yorkshireman@y..." <yorkshireman@y...> | 2018‑05‑26 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
picking up on Tom’s comments… > I have one point of disagreement with Paul Sellars---well, I'll put it stronger, Paul is dead wrong in one point: he flattens the inside of the scissors on a flat stone. JeffGorman, in one of the old emails, said to do this too. Maybe English shears are different, have a different blade geometry, and are actually flat on the insides. But good American shears are curved in both directions, hollow-ground across the blades and bowed along the blades. Speaking for the English - our quality scissors are hollow ground and curved too. Our not so quality modern plastic handled instant scissors seem to be flat steel, so maybe these mass produced versions are the ones being referred to. I happen to have one of the few tools from my maternal grandfather here at the desk - a pair of scissors. They seem to have flat blades, but a ‘proper’ check shows a very slight hollow ground. They're marked ‘Champ… & co Sheffield’ I think it will be ‘Champion’ but the mark is almost gone. I can’t find a reference to Champ, or Champion’ And the reason - as I was once told, for not stoning the face is because you are unable to stone back the bearing surface at the joint. If you could do so, then I would guess no harm done. Someone mentioned removing gross damage and distortion to the cutting edge. I deem this not to be tampering with the face of course. A long way riund to say ‘I agree with Tom. Face stoning not allowed. More excitingly, and informatively, I came across this video of hand making scissors. It’s a good watch https://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=IitTC4PqcOI |
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265961 | Michael Parrish <michaelparrish@o...> | 2018‑05‑29 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
May I divert the thread a smidge and ask what, if anything, can be done for scissors that are too tight? I have a vintage pair that cuts fine, but is just tiring to use, since it takes greater than normal effort to open and close them. Unfortunately, the screw is peened over, so it won't loosen. Michael, who's partial to stainless-inlaid scissors from Sheffield. |
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265966 | <gtgrouch@r...> | 2018‑05‑29 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
Among other things, this is why I polish the surfaces that slide against one another. I am clearly in the minority, so your experience may vary. Good luck, Gary Katsanis Albion New York, USA ---- Michael Parrish |
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265973 | scott grandstaff <scottg@s...> | 2018‑05‑30 | Re: Sharpening Scissors |
> May I divert the thread a smidge and ask what, if anything, can be done > for scissors that are too tight? First use your your hands as a prybar. Grab the scissor blades at both ends, and pull them apart forcefully as you open and close them repeatedly. Many times this makes a great improvement. If this doesn't work Support the scissors body very near the rivet. A small socket works pretty well (but its going to show after you are done.) Just drive the rivet back through a little. A large pin punch is good. yours Scott -- ******************************* Scott Grandstaff Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca 96039 scottg@s... http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/ http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html |
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